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Are the Trade Deficits of Less Developed Countries Stationary?. Evidence for African Countries

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  • Holmes, Mark J

Abstract

This study tests for the stationarity of current account deficits for a sample of twenty six African countries. For this purpose, a new test advocated by Breuer, McNown and Wallace (2002) is employed which allows one to test for unit roots in heterogeneous panel datasets. This SURADF test involves estimating ADF regressions within a seemingly unrelated regression framework. While the benefits from creating a panel to overcome low test power are well known, this particular test also offers key advantages over existing alternative panel data unit root tests. Unlike previous tests, we are able to identify which members from within the panel are responsible for rejecting the null hypothesis of joint non-stationarity. In addition to this, the SURADF test does not presume disturbances that are independently and identically distributed. Using annual data covering the period 1960-2000, this study finds strong evidence in favor of current account mean-reversion for twenty one African countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Holmes, Mark J, 2003. "Are the Trade Deficits of Less Developed Countries Stationary?. Evidence for African Countries," Applied Econometrics and International Development, Euro-American Association of Economic Development, vol. 3(3).
    • Handle: RePEc:eaa:aeinde:v:3:y:2003:i:3_13
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. César Calderón & Alberto Chong & Luisa Zanforlin, 2007. "Current Account Deficits in Africa: Stylized Facts and Basic Determinants," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 56(1), pages 191-221, October.
    2. Santosh Kumar Dash, 2017. "Analyzing Current Account Sustainability through the Saving-Investment Correlation," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 37(4), pages 2860-2870.
    3. Issiaka Coulibaly & Blaise Gnimassoun, 2013. "Current account sustainability in Sub-Saharan Africa: Does the exchange rate regime matter?," Working Papers hal-04141160, HAL.
    4. Chu, Hsiao-Ping & Chang, Tsangyao & Chang, Hsu-Ling & Su, Chi-Wei & Yuan, Young, 2007. "Mean reversion in the current account of forty-eight african countries: Evidence from the Panel SURADF test," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 384(2), pages 485-492.
    5. Frederique Bec & Melika Ben Salem, 2020. "An asymmetrical overshooting correction model for G20 nominal effective exchange rates," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 40(3), pages 1937-1947.
    6. Gnimassoun, Blaise & Coulibaly, Issiaka, 2014. "Current account sustainability in Sub-Saharan Africa: Does the exchange rate regime matter?," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 208-226.
    7. AKA, Bédia F., 2009. "Business Cycle And Sectoral Fluctuations: A Nonlinear Model For Côte D’Ivoire," International Journal of Applied Econometrics and Quantitative Studies, Euro-American Association of Economic Development, vol. 9(1), pages 111-126.
    8. László Kónya, 2004. "Saving and Growth: Granger Causality Analysis with Bootstrapping on Panels of Countries," Working Papers 2004.02, School of Economics, La Trobe University.
    9. Abm Nasir & Abdullah M. Noman, 2012. "Sustainability of external debt: further evidence from non-linear framework," International Review of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(5), pages 673-685, December.
    10. Aka, B.F., 2004. "Do WAEMU Countries Exhibit a Regional Business Cycle?. A Simulated Markov Switching Model for a Western Africa area," Applied Econometrics and International Development, Euro-American Association of Economic Development, vol. 4(4).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F3 - International Economics - - International Finance
    • F4 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance
    • O0 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - General

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